


seashells and small sandals

by biffjerky, LandOfMistAndSecrets



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 09:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16216031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biffjerky/pseuds/biffjerky, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LandOfMistAndSecrets/pseuds/LandOfMistAndSecrets
Summary: While in Goldshore, Alfyn decides to play with Ellen and her sister while Therion watches like a sad father far away.





	seashells and small sandals

**Author's Note:**

> Just as a preface, this was LandOfMistAndSecrets idea. Go send her some love <3

Goldenshore was perhaps the most beautiful place in Orsterra. The architecture, the people, the vibrance of the sand and ocean that held its hand toward the shore. It was a place Therion had yet to visit before he’d started following Alfyn. Sure, he’d been wandering aimlessly for years, but Alfyn provided direction and some form of innate purpose that Therion found himself jealous of. Alfyn himself was a puzzling mystery, always smiling and warm, never once losing patience with him, or anything for that matter, and part of Therion knew he was following him just to try and cling to that positivity. He was fascinated by the tall, blonde medicine man that always held out his hand for someone in need.

A few days after they’d decided to stop in Goldenshore, Therion found himself antsy. He never stayed in one place for too long, and although he was being shoved around by his own wanderlust, he couldn’t bear to watch Alfyn depart from a place he truly loved so much without him being ready. If Alfyn’s beacon fizzled out, Therion would panic, and although Alfyn was easy to cheer up, that small minute of darkness could leave Therion speechless and frightened for hours.

He hated that Alfyn had so much of a hold on him.

Therion blinked when he caught sight of Alfyn on the beach, popped in a squat, talking to a pair of girls who couldn’t have been over ten. Both of them were intently listening to him, and one of them broke out into a beam about something Alfyn had said moments before. Therion felt a small smile quirk at his lip, but it wilted in a manner of seconds.

From below the scaffolding, Ellen peered off to the side and watched Therion with curious eyes, making a small humming noise before pointing to him messing with a pebble idly, tossing it around before shooting it into the sand.

“Who’s that, Alfyn?”

Alfyn paused in the middle of patting down a small sand mound that was supposed to resemble a sand castle and managed to catch sight of Therion, who had now graduated from pebble throwing to inspecting his dagger with half-closed eyelids.

Smirk tugging at his lips, Alfyn turned to Ellen, a good-natured laugh rumbling in his chest and through his nose. “That’s Therion. We’re traveling together right now.”

“Is he your friend?” She asked instantaneously, eyeing him with a newly found curiosity that Alfyn had yet to see.

“Yeah,” He explained, placing a piece of seaweed on the top of the mound to crown it. “Of course he is. When you travel with someone for a long time, you become pals really fast.”

Ellen seemed to ponder this for a moment, her gaze never leaving Therion, before blurting out, “He doesn’t look like he’s very nice.” Alfyn spluttered out a laugh, letting it properly bloom after a moment. He’d forgotten just how little of a filter children really had. When they observed something, they had no regard for social constructs or rules, just speaking whatever caught their attention.

“He’s not mean, I promise. He just looks a little scary.” Alfyn explained, placing one of the seashells in the seaweed crown before fully sitting down in the sand. “Here, I’ll prove it to you.”Alfyn grabbed his satchel and fiddled inside the bag before letting out a small ‘ah,’ before handing Ellen an apple that he’d stashed during dinner one night at a tavern.

“Here, go give it to him.”

Ellen gingerly grabbed the apple and narrowed her eyes in confused before cocking her head. “Why an apple?” She asked.

“He loves apples.” Alfyn replied spritely, nodding his head. “Go on, he won’t bite, I promise.” Alfyn gently placed his hand on the outside of her shoulder before giving her a tiny push.

Ellen gave Alfyn a small smile and took off through the sand, tripping every once and awhile in her attempts to speed up. She tore up the stone steps back up into the town and sprinted over to Therion, bouncing to a stop in front of him, breathing rapidly from her sprint.

“Here you go, Alfyn’s friend! You looked kinda angry and sad, so Alfyn said to bring you this!” She chirped, handing him the apple. Therion, who’d been thoroughly surprised that a child had approached him--quickly, nonetheless-- slowly took the apple from the girl and blinked, slowly dropping his gaze to look at it before raising them again.

“...Thanks.” Therion mumbled, holding it in one palm preciously, his fingers gripping it tightly. He turned to look in Alfyn’s direction and caught eyes with him; Alfyn was down with another girl, and once he saw Therion watching him, he turned over his shoulder and beamed, giving him a small wave. Therion swallowed, feeling an odd eruption of emotion bubble in his chest. Ellen, who seemed satisfied with her gift, took off, waving and shouting a quick goodbye before she tripped over to Alfyn, sliding her knees into the sand so that she could be next to Alfyn and his ‘sandcastle.’

A small breeze had picked up, chalking a bit of humid, salty air into his face, and Therion felt his jaw relax, having unknowingly clenched it the entire time the girl had been in front of him.

He glanced back over at Alfyn and the girls for a moment before studying the apple, which had a few bruises on it, but Therion knew well enough that finding nice looking apples was impossible. After an hour or so, Alfyn returned with the girls, his pants wet and boots covered in sand; somehow, a bit of wet sand had gotten on his face, but he’d learned that Alfyn had the tactile excitement of a toddler when he chose to let himself run wild.

Alfyn bid adieu to the two girls, giving them a small bow as they curtseyed, then he giggled and approached Therion, giving him a hearty clap on the back. “Alright, ready to go?” He asked, his expression so bright that Therion almost forgot to speak.

“Oh--uh, yeah.” He stumbled, nodding as soon as he’d regained his footing.

Therion stuffed a couple of things in Alfyn’s satchel, and Alfyn let him willingly mess around before he headed down the path in the direction of the coast. Therion’s eyes followed him a moment before he lifted the apple out of his pocket and gave it a small toss before catching it effortlessly before slowly following Alfyn, giving one forlorn glance to the town. He sighed one last time and only budged when Alfyn called his name. He lingered just a moment longer and dropped his eyes to the apple and shoved it back into his pocket before taking off to catch up with Alfyn.

Maybe he would eat the apple a little later.


End file.
